Waubonsee Community College

John's not mad, Tourette syndrome, produced by Valerie Kaye

eng

videorecording

For College; Adult audiences

John's not mad

electronic resource

747796979

produced by Valerie Kaye

29

Tourette syndrome

Here is a powerful documentary portrait of John, an adolescent who suffers from a severe case of Tourette Syndrome. This neurological disorder causes him to make involuntary sounds, including a constant stream of profanity. He feels these words and sounds are forced out of him, beyond his ability to exercise control. As we see in the film, daily life is very difficult once he leaves the confines of his home. People who pass him in the neighborhood feel that John is verbally insulting them, since they do not understand his illness. Normal adolescent friendships are almost impossible to sustain because of his alienating behavior. Dr. Oliver Sacks, who appears in the film, has spent many years studying this syndrome. He describes its history and treatment and lends insight to John s symptoms. It should be noted that most people with this disorder are not as severely affected as John, who represents the extreme end of the spectrum of Tourette Syndrome

general